Elephant Rocks
by glambertcello
Summary: Tony hasn't come out of the lab for a long time, so Pepper gets Bruce to get him out of the lab and he takes him to Elephant Rocks State Park. I don't own the Avengers or Elephant Rocks! Is better than it sounds. Sorry for writing style overkill; it got out of hand. XD Tony/Bruce Oneshot


It was an unusual day when Pepper Potts WASN'T barging into Tony Stark's lab.

That was one of the two things Bruce had quickly learned after Tony invited him and his alter ego - without Pepper's permission, of course - to move into Stark Towers. The other was, of course, to not become involved in the conversation unless absolutely necessary.

Typically, Pepper had reminders for Tony. She'd remind him to go to press conferences - which he would either forget about or pointedly ignore - pass him papers - or, rather, she'd pass BRUCE the papers and have him pass it to Tony (something about him not liking things being handed to him, a rule which applied to everyone but the scientist) - or remind him that he couldn't function properly without regular eating and sleeping habits - which he of course chose to not follow. Sometimes, arguments were a part of her presence. Sometimes, they weren't.

But, it was like clockwork, even after the Pepper broke up with him and got herself a new boyfriend. She was still the CEO of Stark Industries, and she still cared a lot about him.

Today, something was different. Bruce could tell. It was in the way she walked - the CLICKETY CLACK that signified her stride was much quicker and verging on stomping - the way that she held her lips together - pinched tight in a straight line. Her normal cheery attitude was gone, and replaced by concern and stress.

As a reflex, the doctor shied away, shrinking into himself as much as possible, hoping he wouldn't be noticed. It wasn't that he didn't like Pepper. Sometimes - actually, he'd argue that it was a lot more often than SOMETIMES - she was a lot easier to be around. She took care of herself, she excelled at maintaining polite conversation, her attention span was considerably larger than her genius boss's, she didn't have an annoying habit of talking over people, and she didn't try to zap him to get the Other Guy to come out. If it wasn't for the fact that Tony was a lot more fun - and, quite honestly, Bruce's best friend, and someone he spent QUITE a bit of time thinking about - he'd spend a lot more time in the company of people like her.

So no, it wasn't because he was afraid of her. It was more because - if he stayed away from a potential argument - he might be less likely to lose control. Over the years, he had nearly mastered the art of keeping the Other Guy at bay. But, sometimes, stress and tension would tip the balance, and he MIGHT lose it.

It was definitely going to be an argument. From his vantage point behind one of the screens, he could practically FEEL her annoyance seeping from every pore of her skin as Tony refused to acknowledge her - whether that be accidentally or purposefully. Trying to draw his attention from the new Iron Man model he was in the process of constructing, she loudly cleared her throat, and shifted her stance as she waited for a response.

None came.

"Tony," she said, her voice hard, her shoulders stiff.

Not even bothering to look up from his work, Tony answered, "Gimme a sec." So apparently he HAD heard her.

Rolling her eyes towards the back of his head, she snapped, "No, Tony, I will NOT wait a second. You've been in the lab for over four days."

"So?" Bruce DEFINITELY knew now was not a good time to jump in.

Very obviously pissed off, she said stiffly, "Tony, all you've been living on for those last four days is a burger, coffee, and a half hour nap."

Actually turning away from his work, a defiant look on his face, he questioned, "Okay, who's the tattler?" His eyes shifted towards Bruce, who immediately shrank further into his seat. "Was it Bruce?"

Did Tony really think HE told Pepper? He felt insulted.

Her arms crossing in front of her chest, she replied, "JARVIS, actually," causing Tony to mutter something under his breath about having to reprogram his AI. Once he had finished she added, "And anyways, Bruce comes out of the lab more often to eat and rest. Although I SHOULD be concerned, he's not the worst problem here." Dressing up her face with a fake grin, she turned to where Bruce sat and said, "Hello, Doctor Banner," making him feel - once again - uncomfortable by her professionalism towards everyone who wasn't named Anthony Stark.

And, of course, he was uncomfortable by the fact she was acting like she was a teacher, saying to one student, "Look at Bruce's drawing; this is how it should look," in the most diminishing way possible.

So much for not being noticed.

Not surprisingly, Tony looked pissed. Thankfully, it wasn't addressed at BRUCE. JARVIS? Yes.

"Well, I'm working, which you so kindly interrupted with your trivial concerns," the playboy answered, his voice absolutely DRIPPING with sarcasm. But then, like that, his attention on the subject was gone, replaced by whatever genius he could come up with. Spinning back towards his table, he began connecting some wires, all the while muttering that something was "excellent."

Sometimes, Bruce wondered how Tony had ever gotten someone as amazing as Pepper. She had the patience of a saint.

"Tony," she said, her voice stony cold, but not at all verging on angry. It was amazing, watching her keep cool while her boss continued to light a fire of frustration underneath her. It was admirable, and Bruce felt lucky that he was somehow special enough to NOT endure this torture from his self-claimed philanthropist best friend.

Perhaps that's what made him feel so special; made him feel as if Tony really DID care about HIM, and not the horrible creature that was quartered in the back of his mind. Which possibly could explain why he kept feeling a tingly sensation whenever his hand happened to brush against Tony's, or the one that clenched in his gut whenever he THOUGHT about unintentionally touching Tony's hand, or how he thought Tony's eyes were the softest, gentlest brown he'd ever seen, and how he wanted, just once, to touch the source of the faint glow under his shirt, or his overwhelming urge to take the collar of Tony's shirt, drag him towards him, and force their lips together, or how he couldn't help but smile when he realized that the Other Guy was HUMANE enough to save his Iron Man from falling to his death, or...

Speak of the devil; Bruce could feel the Other Guy beginning to shift in his mind, the conversation going on before the scientist exciting him into interest.

Praying that he could keep the Other Guy at bay, Bruce left the station of his mind and tuned back to Pepper and Tony's conversation just in time to hear Pepper snap, "-need to get outside; breathe in the fresh air."

Sounding like a child, his response was, "I don't have to breathe fresh air if I don't want to. Maybe I like chemical-infested air better."

With an exclamation that sounded close to a scream – apparently in the time Bruce had tuned out, she had finally lost her cool - Pepper decided that she'd reached the end of the conversation. Instead, her attention focused on Bruce, saying, "Doctor Banner, can I speak with you for a moment?"

Oh shit; so much for not being involved.

Defeated, letting his shoulder slump and his head hunch, his arms tight across his chest, Bruce followed the CEO of Stark Industries from the lab, down the halls, and up the elevator to Pepper's personal office.

The complete polar opposite of Tony's lab, Pepper's office was the DEFINITION of organized. Everything was in its place; everything HAD a place. She had a very empty desk - preferring to keep all of her documents in a built-in filing cabinet - that housed her computer monitor, her keyboard, and her mouse, all of which were the same white color as the desk. In fact, white seemed to be the theme of the office.

In all honesty, Bruce wished he was in a more disorganized office; in fact, he'd prefer to be in the lab, where he could sneak random glances at Tony from behind the machinery and screens. But, he couldn't just refuse Pepper, especially when she was in such a foul mood.

Taking a seat in her - white, of course - office chair, Pepper placed her laced together hands on the desk. Nodding in the direction of the chair in front of her desk, she told him, "Take a seat, Doctor Banner."

With a sigh, he told her, "Please, Pepper, call me Bruce," but he sat down anyways. He couldn't deny her request, not with the expression on her face.

For a moment, all she did was stare at him, studying his face with her bright eyes. Bruce sank down in his seat, feeling increasingly uncomfortable at having the focus set on him. When she finally ceased, it was through a sympathetic smile breaking her frown. This one was actually genuine.

Reaching across the table and placing her hand down, as if to try and make physical contact - except Bruce's hands were on his lap, knotting together out of discomfort - she said sadly, "I'm sorry to be in such a foul mood, Bruce. It makes things... difficult, and I really don't mean to do that. It's just..." She trailed off, looking down at the corner of her keyboard.

When she refused to continue, Bruce subconsciously moved his hands onto the table, offering them up for her take. Normally, he wouldn't be so OPEN to human contact - he quite preferred to not touch anyone but Tony for the rest of his life, but that would be near impossible, especially as a doctor - but Pepper seemed so troubled, he could barely help himself. And even the part of him screamed not to, he would've ignored it. Looking grateful, she took them, giving them a squeeze.

In a dry voice - god, he sounded like an ill person who hadn't used their voice for several days - he asked, "What, Pepper?"

Clearing her throat - probably more as a way to begin talking again, and less as a need to - she continued. "Bruce, I worry about him constantly. And you know why; you know that he needs proper nourishment and a healthy sleep schedule. It's amazing that he's functioned this long with his life style, but I'm worried about what happens the NEXT time aliens invade." The longer she talked, the higher her voice rose and the more hysterical she sounded. "Bruce, he nearly DIED last time, and if it hadn't been- hadn't been for you-" She couldn't bring herself to finish, bursting into tears.

Never having been one to handle female emotions well - let alone emotions in general - Bruce was at loss for what to do. He supposed he should probably hug her, but he worried too much about how awkward he would feel doing it.

Maybe he was being ridiculous; he couldn't tell, because suddenly, there was another presence growing stronger in his mine. One that he REALLY didn't want to let lose.

Instead, he blurted out, "I'll get him out of Stark Towers!" When she looked up, her tears not even masking her surprise, he added an explanation. "What I'll do is take him out to do something fun. Nature hiking or something. No electronics allowed but a GPS."

It might just have been her tears, but Bruce could've sworn that her eyes brightened up at that suggestion. "That... that sounds wonderful." Then, almost as quickly, she was back to frowning. "It'll just be getting him to listen."

Although he felt suspiciously like he was bragging - he certainly didn't want to, but it had to be said - he told the CEO, "Tony listens to me. I mean, he lets me pass things to him"

"That's... that's true," she said, lightening up. Suddenly optimistic, she clapped her hands together and announced, "That could actually work, Bruce! He DOES listen to you."

Nodding - because really, there was nothing else he COULD properly respond with - he informed her, "I think I know a perfect place. I'll go talk to him immediately." As he said this, he was already getting to his feet, determined to assist the poor woman.

Just as he's turned around to exit the room, Pepper called, "Bruce?" Spinning around, he gave her his full attention, wondering what she would ask him - her tone suggested she DID have a question.

Cocking her head at a forty-five degree angle, she stated, "You're in love with him, aren't you."

Instantly, the doctor's face turned bright red, surprised by the question. All that could come out of his mouth was, "What?"

"I see the way you look at him. Whenever I go downstairs to drop him a memo, I sometimes see you throw him looks out of the corner of your eye. Its only when he's not looking, of course. And when you guys talk, you can't stop smiling." Lacing her fingers together and propping up her chin on them, she observed, "He's the only person you're ever COMFORTABLE with."

There was nothing he could do but tell her the truth; he had a REALLY bad feeling that - should he try to lie and say he WASN'T - Pepper would see right through him, like she already had. So, instead, he awkwardly said, "Yeah." Nodding, he repeated himself, "Yeah, I do."

He expected for the CEO to launch into a he's-not-a-good-person speech, or maybe flat out disapprove of the whole idea. He did NOT expect for her to let out a short - but loud, as well as high-pitched - squeal.

"I knew it!"

Blinking - surprise would've been a major understatement - he barely managed a, "What?"

She completely ignored him, too excited to pay attention to anything going on around her. Should Stark Towers explode, she wouldn't even have noticed, because she'd still be freaking out. "Oh my god, that is SO CUTE! I hope he knows!"

"Wh-what?!" Bruce sputtered; he didn't want THAT!

Snapping momentarily from her excitement, she said, "C'mon, Bruce, don't you want him to know? Know that you like him?"

"No, not at all!"

Giving him a sympathetic smile, she said, "He loves you too, Bruce. I don't know how aware of that he is, but there is a part of him in love with you." More to herself, she added, "I mean, he lets you HAND him things."

It was very unlike Bruce for his mind to quit functioning. The thought of Tony ever loving him... No, it was impossible. Tony was all about the playboy life, about preying on one woman for one moment and moving onto the next as soon as he grew bored. Bruce had never heard of him even being with men. While he wanted, while he DREAMT of being with Tony - even when he wouldn't admit it to himself during the beginning stages of his love for the billionaire - the thought of Tony liking him was... impossible, no. Improbable, yes.

Even when it was Pepper saying it, he didn't believe her.

But, she DID have a point. Even though Bruce highly doubted Tony had any attraction towards him, there was no point in denying that Tony had a heart for him. After all, he shared his lab - his pride and joy, his baby - with the scientist. There wasn't even any hesitation.

Then, there was the passing objects thing. The doctor didn't have a clue what happened, but Tony strongly disliked someone handing him something. Normally, the only ones worthy of it were his robots; even Pepper struggled with his infuriating stubbornness regarding the matter. But yet, even after a couple days of being around each other, Bruce could easily pass him things without having to worry about the genius loudly protesting. It was... very un-Tony-like.

Still... it wouldn't make sense. Shaking his head at her, he said, "No, Pepper, I think you're mistaken. He couldn't possibly love me; he's more fascinated with the Other Guy."

Almost as an agreement, the Other Guy rumbled in the back of his head, making Bruce slightly panic.

Laughing, Pepper smiled at him. "Oh, you REALLY have no idea, do you?"

"What?"

"He's not a girls-only type of guy. He doesn't like putting a title on it, but he's very much bi. I mean, he confided in me that he had a week-long relationship with his friend Rhodey before Rhodey threatened to shoot him if he didn't quit whining."

Rhodey? Really? Bruce had met the man once before, but had never really expected for Tony to have any romantic relationship with him. They talked like friends, not like two men who had a history. It was... no, it couldn't be right.

"That... that can't be right." He knew it was stupid to say so, because Pepper would be the one to know these kinds of things - she probably knew more than she EVER wanted to know, poor thing - but it was all he could think to say.

Pepper shrugged, stating, "It's the truth." A quizzical look crossing her face, she suddenly asked, "Is Tony the first man you've ever fallen in love with, Bruce?"

Taken aback by the question, he instantly said the first thing on his lips: "Yes." Once again, he was met by a squeal from her; this time, however, she was up on her feet, coming over to wrap her arms around him in a hug, invading his personal space. Apparently, she was really good at invading people's spaces if she wanted to.

The Other Guy certainly didn't like that.

Politely, the doctor nudged the CEO of Stark Industries off of him, hoping she'd get the hint. She did, giving him a, "Sorry," as she backed off. "You guys will be perfect for each other."

Bruce almost asked, "Will?" but thought better of it. Instead, he asked quietly, "Shouldn't I be getting him now?"

Having completely forgotten why the two of them were talking, she answered, "Oh, yeah. I guess you should. Oops."

"I'll go get him now then," he said awkwardly, not at all sure what he should do. Beginning to turn, he suddenly thought of something to say, and decided to make the best of it. Catching her by the eye, he informed her, "I'll be sure to give you whatever pictures we take."

She smiled.

* * *

Tony was sulking.

Oh GOD, was Tony sulking. The whole time they were on the private jet, he'd played around on his phone, refusing to make contact with Bruce. Bruce knew he was being immature, but he was just glad he actually got him OUT of the lab.

Fresh air would be good for them.

Now they were in a rental car, an older Toyota Corolla that Tony had made very loud comments about when they got it. Even though it would occasionally let out a loud protest, Bruce felt at home behind its wheel. It had been a while since he last drove a car; Tony offered to give him one, but Bruce was afraid the Other Guy might break it, so he declined the offer. It was a weird feeling, realizing how much he missed driving.

Even if it meant he had to chauffeur around a sulking playboy in the shotgun seat.

Deciding that he couldn't take the silence anymore - which wasn't like him, because he normally preferred peace and quiet so the Other Guy might feel relaxed, but Tony was a completely different story in that case as well as every other case - he turned to the pouting billionaire and commented, "Tony, you DO realize there's a good reason we're doing this, right?"

A minute passed between the two of them - not an uncomfortable one at all, surprisingly - before Tony finally began to speak. "It's not like there isn't air in the lab."

Sighing with a smile - FINALLY, the man was responding to him - the curly-haired doctor responded, "Tony, it's not just about fresh air. And it's NOT about torturing you. I just..." He paused, thinking about how he wanted to word what he said next. Finally selecting a good combination of words to express what he WANTS out of this trip, he continues. "There's more to the world than technology and work. You may find technology beautiful, but most people see nature that way instead. I know I view them – as well as science in general - equally. Just... just let me try to show you."

As if a cue in a play, Bruce saw the entrance to the location. As he took the right turn, he observed that the sign was still the same gargantuan boulder, "Elephant Rocks State Park" carved into the face of it. It had been years since he had visited the location, but everything looked the same.

Not that rocks could naturally transform in that short of a time.

Mentally, the scientist rejoiced at the sight of five cars. Not twenty, not fifty; only five, a glorious number when one was a man who transformed into a giant rage monster with no self control and the other was an offensive celebrity. He couldn't have picked a better day to do this.

Even before they had reached the turn in, it was obvious what Elephant Rocks was. A natural creation, thousands of boulders populated the land, trees springing up in between them. When Bruce had visited here years before, it had been a chilly spring day; today, however, it was the middle of fall, and the trees were alight with flaming oranges and yellows. It was a magnificent sight, and they hadn't even parked yet.

Staring out the window – not at all keeping up his defiant act – Tony asked, "What is this place?"

"This," the doctor told him, glancing away from the road to throw the genius Iron Man a look, "is a state park. It's got a nature trail, and they let you climb on the rocks. I figured it would be the perfect way to get you outside."

Much to his surprise, Tony didn't have a retort for that; instead, he merely nodded, his eyes still quickly scanning the sight before him as Bruce selected a parking spot and pulled into it. When they got out, he didn't complain about having to walk around; instead, he began to wander off, trying to figure out what to climb first. It was an absolutely adorable – since when had BRUCE started using the word ADORABLE? – picture, and – on instinct - grabbed the camera and took a snapshot.

Spinning around, his attention attracted by the flash, Tony teased, "You know, breaking your own rules is contradictory. 'No electronics except a GPS,'" he stated, imitating how Bruce must've sounded when he first said it himself. "That, my good sir, is a CAMERA. CAM-ER-A."

Shrugging, Bruce informed him, "I promised Pepper I would take pictures of this place. She thought it sounded like a gorgeous place."

"Uh huh. Question: did she put you up to this?" Bruce smirked; Tony was totally trying to hide the fact that he wasn't upset anymore about this trip, and was failing at it.

Bruce shook his head, saying, "She brought the motivation, but the trip was my idea, actually."

Clutching his heart – as if the arc reactor was having one of its malfunction moments – he gasped, "You didn't!"

"Oh c'mon, Tony, I can see that you want to get moving." Bruce gestured towards the path, which would lead them further in between the trees and the boulders. Quite honestly, he was itching to begin the walk, to begin taking the pictures of the billionaire secretly having fun. He was eager to spend his time with Tony, and be completely in awe of nature at its best.

Finally, after a couple more protests – while secretly throwing looks around the location – the two geniuses began along the path, following it as it wound between boulders. Every couple of meters, Tony would stop, fascinated by a boulder or overcome by an urge to climb it. Bruce would follow him up, feeling his heart pound the whole time.

It would pound whenever Tony pretended to slip off the larger of the rock formations, and would begin to beat at a steady pace when he revealed he was alright. It would pound whenever Tony smirked, staring off at the distant trees. It would pound when Tony took his hand at one point, steadying himself when he ALMOST legitimately fell.

It pounded when he realized how IN LOVE he was with Tony.

It took nearly two hours for them to reach the little-over-halfway point, a ridiculously gargantuan boulder that seemed to stretch across a fourth of the entire state park. This had been Bruce's favorite part of the whole adventure when he went previously, because the view was so BREATHTAKING. Despite the clouds, it had been one of the coolest experiences of his life – not including all of the crazy stuff he had to do because of the Other Guy.

When they ascended the rock, the doctor could tell his friend was completely in awe. In all honesty, Bruce didn't blame him AT ALL. There, on top of the main boulder, sat another stone that was probably three or four feet taller than Thor. A distance from it were indentions in the stone, filled with rain water from the night before. And, all around them was an expanse of sky and an expanse of trees, as far off as physically possible to see.

While Bruce busied himself with taking pictures – this was AMAZING – Tony wandered around, not traveling too far from the scientist. After a couple of minutes, he turned to the slightly taller brunette, asking him, "You ready to move on yet, Tony?"

Expecting an eager "yes," Bruce was astounded when Tony instead answered, "I don't think I ever want to leave, Bruce."

Now THAT was not at all like Tony. Quickly, Bruce made his way over to him, feeling slightly panicked as his mind ran through what could possibly be wrong. Nothing made sense in his head, so he decided that Tony would have to tell him.

When they were side by side, he turned towards Bruce, his eyes wide with… something. Opening his mouth a couple of times to speak – all failed attempts, which was DEFINITELY not Tony – he finally got out, "Bruce, I've…" But, oddly enough, he still couldn't finish.

Raising an eyebrow – but starting to panic because of the proximity, and oh god, he could feel the Other Guy starting to stir for the first time in several hours – Bruce asked, "What?"

He didn't get a vocal answer. Which surprised him, because Tony was an expert at saving his ass through his ramblings. He could've gone on and on and ON about what he had just realized, about what had apparently removed its mask the moment Tony laid eyes on the EXPANSE around him.

Instead, Bruce got no words.

He only got a kiss.

Tony was… terrified. Terrified was the word that came to Bruce's mind as Tony leaned in, slowly, hesitantly, his hand resting gently on Bruce's neck to guide him forward. The playboy's lips were trembling slightly as he put his on Bruce's, and Bruce could feel his heart pounding when he placed his hand reflexively there. The slightly-taller man began to pull away, thinking his friend was going to push him away, but Bruce went on instinct and moved his arm around Tony's torso, pulling him closer.

Several moments passed before the two broke the kiss – at the same time, and only because of the desperate need for oxygen – and Bruce flushed.

Was this real? Was it some cruel dream, trying to ruin his memory of this beautiful place.

But no, Tony was right in front of him. Tony was in his arms. Tony had his head pressed against his forehead. It wasn't a dream.

* * *

"So seriously, Pepper brought you into her office to complain about how WORRIED she was about ME? SERIOUSLY?!"

Bruce chuckled, sincerely surprised that this was such a huge deal to Tony. Rubbing his thumb over Tony's knuckle – Tony had announced shortly after they sat down on the boulder that they would be holding hands for the rest of their lives, which suited Bruce perfectly fine – he soothingly told him, "Tony, Pepper cares a LOT about you. You can hardly blame her; it's a wonder you've lived this long from such an unhealthy lifestyle." He earned himself a glare, but it was a caring one – if such things were possible – so he really didn't mind.

"But she's got that one boyfriend of hers. Shouldn't she care more about him?"

Now laughing aloud, he asked, "Tony, do you even remember the guy's NAME?"

Right in beat with Bruce, Tony retorted, "Do YOU?" Blushing, Bruce realized he, in fact, didn't know it. Which made his point contradictory.

Tony made sure to point this out. "See, he's THAT forgettable. How could she go from celebrity awesomeness" – he gestured towards himself – "to forgettable?"

Bruce let out a snort. "Maybe it's because forgettable isn't as high maintenance as you."

Elbowing his new love in the ribs, he snapped, "Hey, you're the one dating high maintenance; I suggest you keep your insulting comments to yourself."

Wow. He was dating Tony. For Tony to say that – of all of the people Tony talked about having moments with, Pepper was the only one he really dated – it was a huge deal. Leaning back onto his elbows, he informed him, "I can't believe THAT really happened."

Tony nodded in agreement. "Can you see why I didn't want to leave?"

Shaking his head no, Bruce commented, "You never really explained that statement."

"Well, it's one of the few places we've actually been alone for a while. Just you and me. And don't say the lab," he added as Bruce opened his mouth, "because JARVIS counts too." Sighing and staring off at the trees in the distance, he said, "S.H.I.E.L.D. is always breathing down our necks, and when they're not, Thor is most likely showing up in his thunder tornado and taking our Pop-Tarts hostage. There's never US time, and this… This really feels like the first in a LONG time."

It was true; they were CONSTANTLY around people, which didn't help Bruce's nerves. Unlike Stark Towers, they were relatively alone, with only a couple of people showing up ever half an hour or so. But, they would leave in a couple of minutes, and Bruce and Tony would be alone again.

It was REALLY nice; Bruce couldn't deny that.

Nodding in agreement, they sank into silence for a while, studying the scenery around them. Nearly five minutes passed before Bruce cautiously broke it.

Looking over at his new boyfriend, he said, "Tony, Pepper said you'd always loved me. Is that… is that true?" It was a question he was extremely nervous about asking, because he wasn't sure if Tony truly HAD before they decided to go to Elephant Rocks. But, it was nagging at the back of his mind, picking away at his excitement.

Tony hesitated, thinking about it. When he finally spoke, he said, "Umm… Since I first saw your picture in the background information S.H.I.E.L.D. gave me after Loki went psychotic with his taking-over-the-world business. I don't think I really realized WHY I could barely remove my eyes from your picture to look at the Hulk, but it was like peeling myself off the sidewalk after jumping off the Empire State Building. Something about your picture wasn't the same compared to the others, and it was the same way when I finally met you. You – and I don't mean the Hulk, I mean YOU – stood out to me, and I was fascinated. I just don't think I realized…"

Bruce squeezed his hand when he refused to continue, probably guilty that he hadn't realized it as early on as the doctor had. With a smile, he said, "Everything you did for me… it was perfect. Thank you." The 'thank you' felt lame, but he said it anyways, because he truly was thankful to have someone like Tony Stark.

* * *

"Tony, what did we learn today?"

"That rocks are cool."

"And?"

"Ugh. That 'there's more to the world than technology and work.'"

"Good."

"And that Bruce Banner is a damn good kisser."

Bruce turned around and smacked him on the back of the head, grinning the whole time.


End file.
